Building-block



(No Model.) 7

- J. 000K. BUILDING BLOCK.

No. 460,177. Patented Sept. 29,1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JERRY COOK, OF MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA.

BUILDING-BLOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 460,177, dated September 29, 1891.

I Application filed March 2, I891. $erial No. 383,441. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JERRY COOK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Monterey, Monterey county, State of California, have invented an Improvement in B uilding-Blocks; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to a novel building block or brick; and it consists in certain details of construction, which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a view of one of my building blocks. Fig. 2 shows a number of them laid up together.

I form myimprovedbuilding block or brick of any suitable or desirable size and of any material which has sufficient strength to prevent the projecting lockinglugs or spurs from being broken off by the strains or blows to V which they may be subjected in handling.

I have found that cast-iron is a very suitable material for my block, which in the present case I have shown of the form and size of an ordinary brick. It consists of an exterior hollow shell or box A, having a bottom, but no top.

Upon the bottom of each of these blocks are cast two longitudinal strips B, lying parallel with each other and sufficiently near to the outer sides of the block that the ribs upon any one block will lit into the corresponding channels C, which are made in the top of each of the blocks and just within the outer sides thereof. In order to strengthen these blocks, I prefer to cast them with one or more transverse partitions D, which are channeled at the top in the same manner with the ends to admit the ribs B, so that when one block is set upon the top of the other it will be prevented from sliding sidewise by reason of these ribs.

All blocks which are to be laid in astraight line have a dovetailed groove E formed centrally and vertically in one end of the block, and at the opposite end is a corresponding projecting dovetailed rib F.

The projecting dovetailed rib of each block extends down to a point on the outside which is just even with the inner surface of the bottom of the block, as the dovetailed groove can extend no deeper than that, and when the bricks are laid end to end these dovetailed ribs fit into the dovetailed grooves of the adjacent bricks, and by these and the ribs and channels on their faces they are held rigidly in place and prevented from slipping upon each other and may be very rapidly and accuratelylaid.

For such bricks as are to be laid where corners or angles are made, dovetailed grooves G are made in the sides and corresponding projecting dovetailed spurs H are made in the sides of others, so that they maybe properly fitted together where these angles occur. At such points either the dovetailed groove or the dovetailed slot at the ends of these bricks may be omitted, so as to leave a smooth and symmetrical finish upon the outside.

It will be manifest that the wall may be made up of these blocks and by means of the dovetailed grooves and ribs that the wall may be laid up very rapidly, and it may have any desired thickness, the space between the outer and inner blocks which form the wall being left open, and these outer and inner sides may be connected by blocks extending across from side to side and firmly united by means of the dovetailed grooves and ribs at their ends and in the sides of the corresponding blocks of the wall. The wall, being hollow, presents good opportunities for ventilation, and the weight of a wall constructed in this manner will compare favorably with that of a wall composed of solid blocks of other material.

Having thus described my invention, what- I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A hollow building-block provided with parallel ribs upon the bottom inside of the sides thereof, end portions having corresponding grooves or channels, one of said ends having a dovetailed rib and the other a corresponding slot, and the transverse partition D, joining the sides between the ends, substantially as herein described.

I11 witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JERRY COOK.

Witnesses:

E1) INGRAM, JAMES F. DUcKwoRrH. 

